Reykjavík Grapevine - 19.07.2019, Page 38

Equine Sex, A Dropout
Manchild, And Yes,
There’s An Elf
Bíó Paradís parades the golden not-so-oldies
of Icelandic cinema
Words: The Grapevine Movie Dpt.
Icelandic Films
See these films at Bíó Paradís all
summer long. Times and info:
bioparadis.is.
E a ch s u m m er, Bíó P a r a d í s
screens a programme of ac-
claimed Icelandic fi lms with
English subtitles. This year,
there are eight films on offer,
featuring everything from farm-
er nudity to eco-terrorism to a
Viking Western. From oldest to
newest, here’s our guide to what
you can expect.
The Raven Flies (1984)
Often described as a “Viking
spaghetti western,” this cine-
matic classic from Hrafn Gun-
nlaugsson is every bit as fun and
entertaining as any Sergio Leo-
ne film, but with Settlement era
Vikings instead of Clint East-
wood. Helpfully, the warring
clans are easily identified—one
wears red, the other wears blue.
Snilld. AF
Cold Fever (1995)
If you ever wondered where the
stereotype that Icelanders are
quirky and eccentric came from,
look no further. While ostensi-
bly about a Japanese man who
visits Iceland to pay respects to
his parents, who died here in
a car crash, it’s actually a con-
tinuous but disjointed series of
encounters between a reserved
man and various wacky Iceland-
ers. And yes, there’s an elf, too.
AF
101 Reykjavík (2000)
The coming-of-age tale that put
the Icelandic cinema’s slowcore
style of storytelling on the map,
101 Reykjavík charts the life of a
dropout manchild as he tries to
discover his place in the world.
His terminal boredom and gen-
eral misadventures are witty
and wel l- obser ved, offeri ng
countless memorable moments.
It’s also a valuable period piece
about turn-of-the-millennium
Reykjavík—check out the un-
recognisable skyline in the final
shot. JR
Jar City (2006)
T h i s m u r d e r my s t e r y w a s
penned by Arnaldur Indriðason
and directed by Baltasar Ko-
rmákur. Ingvar E. Sigurðsson,
Iceland’s most notable actor of
the period (and perhaps still),
does a fine job as cranky detec-
tive Erlendur; bad guy Theódór
Jú l íu s s on m a n a ge s t o lo ok
menacing at 57. Despite the of-
ten-impressive production val-
ues, it feels in parts like a TV
pilot—quite good, but it could
have gone further. VG
Of Horses And Men (2013)
Infamous for its xxx-rated mov-
ie poster featuring equine sex,
‘Of Horses And Men’ interweaves
half a dozen sagas about rural
Icelanders and the horses on
which they interdepend. The
stories unfold through the hors-
es' eyes, as fortune and misery
befall their human companions.
Passion for romance, passion
for alcohol, passion for eques-
trianism, passion for surviv-
al—‘Of Horses And Men’ seduces
through quirk and charm. AR
Rams (2015)
After a 40-year falling out, two
brothers butt heads over the
wellness of their prized sheep
stock. Unusual premise for a
film? Absolutely. One of the best
Icelandic films ever? It’s the real
deal. It is exquisitely written,
touching, and altogether sur-
prising from start to end. Also,
I haven’t been this excited about
full frontal nudity since Harvey
Keitel in ‘The Piano,’ so there’s
that added carrot. AR
Under The Tree (2017)
In ‘Undir Trénu,’ the shadow cast
from the tree next door sparks
a seething feud between neigh-
bours which ultimately culmi-
nates in tragedy. Through its
suburban setting and tight knit
cast of intriguing and troubled
characters, Hafsteinn Gunnar
Sigurðsson’s third film deftly
juxtaposes raw emotion with the
banalities of daily life to bleakly
funny effect. CW
Woman At War (2018)
A n a c t i v i s t c a r r i e s o u t a
one-woman campaign to halt
an unnamed industrial devel-
opment. Much-hyped and heav-
ily stylised, 'Kona Fer í Stríð'
features an all-star band that
hangs around in the background
soundtracking the scenes while
our heroine carries out cute
eco-terrorism and communes
with the nature she’s protect-
ing. It's pretty to look at—Wes
Anderson fans will appreciate
it—but the message seems si-
multaneously lightweight and
heavy-handed. JR
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